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AAT Kings' Easter Egg Hunt: Little Penguin Eggs

Posted: 7 April 2017

So far we’ve collected an Emu and Platypus egg on our Easter Egg Hunt around Australia and New Zealand. Now we’ve stumbled across the very cute Little Penguin – we’re wondering what its eggs look like!

The Little Penguin (or blue penguin as it’s referred to in New Zealand) is named that way due to the dark blue feathers along its back and that they only grow up to about 33cm in height. The penguin’s little wings are more useful for swimming rather than flying as they make for perfect flippers.

Both the male and female penguins take turns in taking care of their young before they’ve hatched from their eggs. The female usually lays around 2 eggs per mating season and they’re no bigger than a chickens’ egg. They take just over a month before they hatch and after 2-3 months, the parents leave the little chick to fend for themselves!

These Penguins spend up to 80% of their lives at sea swimming and hunting for food. When they return, it’s usually only to feed and raise their young or just to take a break after days or weeks spent at sea. Penguins are ‘counter shaded’ (blue backs and white bellies) in order to protect them from predators. The blue back helps them blend in to the water and hides them from those preying on them from above, meanwhile the white belly helps hide them from any predators that may be looking up from the bottom of the ocean.

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